Danica Patrick says she thinks the 2014 team makeup will be a fun mix of drivers. / Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports

by Ray Glier, Special for USA TODAY Sports

by Ray Glier, Special for USA TODAY Sports

A reporter wanted to know Friday what Danica Patrick thought about the Stewart-Haas Racing team adding another driver to its stable whom NASCAR has had its issues with over the years because of his hot temper and run-ins with other drivers and media members.

Tuesday, co-owner Gene Haas formally announced he had hired unpredictable Kurt Busch -- the 2004 Sprint Cup champion with the moniker "Outlaw" who once called racing icon Roger Penske "dude."

Busch signed on to a team that boasts three-time Cup winner Tony Stewart and his close friend Kevin Harvick, who can sometimes exhibit short fuses in their own right.

So what does she think about a team with a core of volatile drivers? Make it four with feisty personalities.

OK, Haas, you heard Patrick. Order another strait jacket and make room in what competition director Greg Zipadelli on Tuesday jokingly called the rubber room they will build during the SHR campus expansion.

On Busch joining the team, Patrick said: "I've always gotten along with him. I think we're going to have a fun team."

What might be fun -- and loud -- will also be terrific schooling for Patrick. Busch has a championship to his credit and, his antics aside, he still has game. Patrick sees a chance to grow.

"They're all great drivers and I have a lot to learn from them," Patrick said. "The best part about having more drivers is we're going to start hiring people, we're going to get some fresh ideas and perspective in. We're just going to have more brain power. There is going to be more crew chiefs, more engineers, more of everything."

What Patrick and the GoDaddy team needed more of Friday during practice for Sunday's Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway is traction. She handles herself best on fast tracks, at least according to statistics, but Patrick said there was an issue of tires slipping.

"It's slippery, so grip is at a premium and balance is at a premium," she said. "We struggled with that at the beginning. The very, very last qualifying run was a little bit better. It finally felt like the car was in the track a little bit.

"It could have been easy to melt down a little bit in practice and get everyone upset and take ourselves out of our game, but we all stayed calm and worked hard and our last run was our best run."